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Icopal stretches the capabilities of liquid roofing

A new generation of cold-applied liquid roofing technology has been enhanced by building membranes specialist Icopal – and the manufacturer, and members of its Intelligent Membrane Association (IMA), are already reaping the benefits

The new-look Elastoflex LWS range incorporates several new products, which have been designed to make the seamless system even more robust while at the same time more aesthetic for architects and specifiers.

And this focus has resulted in a surge of specifications for heavy-footfall applications such as the balconies, roof terraces and green roofs of apartments – a far cry from its original purpose. This was as a solution to refurbishment applications with difficult access, restrictive clearances and multiple or odd-shaped penetrations such as plant and equipment that made laying even the most flexible roofing membrane challenging.

The Elastoflex lightweight waterproofing system incorporates a polyester reinforcing fleece between two layers of liquid polyurethane-based coating. This can be applied ‘wet on wet’, eliminating the need for drying time between coats and significantly reducing time on site for contractors.

Because it is applied cold using rollers, brushes or squeegees, use of the Elastoflex system may help to reduce insurance costs and structurally sound roofs can be covered without stripping the existing waterproofing.

New to the portfolio are two primers – one for use with Icopal’s Greenpeace-approved Sure-Weld TPO membrane and another for use on concrete and cementitious screeds – as well as a UV-stable coating for waterproofing in-line rooflights on profiled sheet roofs. The range of Elastoflex reinforcing mats has also been extended to offer thicknesses between 120kg/m² and 200kg/m² and corresponding guarantees between 10 and 20 years.

The additional robustness of the new-look system is down to an improved walkway compound – a two-component, self-levelling finish used in conjunction with Elastoflex Quartz (granules that create an anti-skid surface or alkaline protection layer above the compound) and Elastoflex UV Clear (a single-component resin used as an encapsulation and UV-protection top layer).

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